San Pedro de Atacama
San pedro 8.jpg San pedro 7.jpg San pedro 6.jpg San pedro 5.jpg San pedro 4.jpg San pedro 3.jpg San pedro 2.jpg San pedro 1.jpg Introduction San Pedro de Atacama is a small village in Chile's Grande Norte, where one can experience what remains of indigenous communities in the country. The Atacameños still work the fields in the region around town. It's proximity to various natural sights makes it a popular base for explorations in the region. Location 22°55′S 68°12′W 120 kilometres Southeast of Calama, about 1200 kilometres Northeast of Santiago. Things to Do *Geysers del Tatio Located at 4,200m above sea level, and a 100km away from town, these are some of the highest geysers in the world. It's also the third-largest geyser site on Earth, with over 80 active ones. Most agencies travel there at 0400 hrs. The spectacle is hard to forget-even if the geysers themselves are smallish, the backdrop, lighting, and sheer variety are astounding. Usually, you get to see them from the first stages of dawn, an hour before the sun rises, until sunlight bathes them completely. The best time to take pictures is at exact sunrise, but other lightings can also create wonderful pictures. Please consider the following things: **Temperatures can be terribly cold: -15˚C is common through June to August, while in summer it rarely dips below -5˚C. It's paramount to wear gloves, a cap, and preferably two layers of socks, along with a very warm jacket. After sunrise, the cold quickly subsides, and it gets bearable. Once you get to Machuca, the heat can be stifling. Prepare accordingly. **The altitude, coupled to a steep and winding road, can easily cause height-sickness. Almost all agencies claim to carry an oxygen bottle on board; this is false. They do bring a can with air compressed to one atmosphere, but it does little other than acting as a placebo. *Lagunas Altiplanicas Feel like visiting the Atacama salt pan, a picturesque village, and some Alp-lookalikes in a single day? Plus eating some local food? Then this is your thing. Usually advertised as 'Altiplanic Lagoons', the tour varies very little, if at all, between agencies. You'll be visiting the village of Toconao, renowned for its church and bell-tower; Laguna Chaxa, a national reservation which three species of flamingos inhabit year-round, located at the heart of the Atacama salt pan; Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, located above 4,000m, and home to a variety of local fauna; and Socaire, a tiny hamlet that lives from selling lunch to tourists-it usually includes home-grown potatoes, big beans, carrots, and quinoa, plus a few other things. The tour usually leaves town at 0800 hrs, and returns at 1600 hrs. If you plan on going, please consider the following: **Be wary of the salt pan, as it reflects sunlight in the way that snow does. Wear pants and long sleeves, carry a hat, and wear sunglasses, unless you enjoy the prospect of developing blindness and skin cancer. **Miscanti and Miñiques are usually windy... very much so, to be honest. The wind can easily bring perceived temperature down to 0ºC; bring a good jacket at the very least. Also, follow the guidelines closely, for both park personnel and agency employees are strict about them. **Again, carry lots of water. **The meals in Socaire are good. Don't forget to try the home-baked bread with pebre, a typical chilean sauce made with tomatoes, onions, coriander, and a bit of chili (ají). It comes included in the meal. It's spicy, but nothing unmanageable. **Look for the Tropic of Capricorn marker. There's one on both of the roads usually taken by tours. On the main road lies a strange white cross that indicates not only the Tropic, but also the Inca road that used to traverse the area. Most guides ignore this fact (intentionally or not), so you'll have to keep your eyes open. *Laguna Cejar This is one amazing location... in summer! Set in the northern tip of the Atacama salt pan, this location offers a splendid panorama of the Andes, and the possibility to bathe in waters as salty as those of the Dead Sea. The landscape's also remarkable. It usually ends with sunset, along a simple cocktail with pisco sour. The tour sets off at variable times, but always in the afternoon, around 1500 to 1600 hrs. Besides the Cejar and Piedra lagoons, excursions usually stop by the 'Ojos del Salar' (Eyes of the Salt Pan), two freshwater eyes very close together, and lake Tebenquinche, a water mirror that offers the absolute best sunsets in the whole area-imagine the mountains slowly changing colors, from yellow to pink, and that same image reflected on the lake's perfect surface! If you plan on going, please consider the following: **Sun protection is a must. Cejar's environs are of a pure, perfect white, which tends to obscenely reflect light. **The water is cold. From October to March, this will be quite welcome, but not so much in winter. There is an upside to traveling in the latter season-some birds, like flamingos, migrate there (June-August). **Always ask whether freshwater's included in the fee. Virtually all agencies carry some, but ask the guide and driver again, just in case. It's necessary to remove the coating of salt that will cover your body after taking a plunge. If not removed, it can cause an unpleasant itch. When desperate, you can always try swimming in the Ojos del Salar. **Even if you can't swim, the water of Piedra lagoon ensures you'll never drown. People float like feathers on it. It might be worth a try. Weather The town lies at an average of 2407 metres, and visitors often experience mild altitude sickness such as dizziness, lethargy and headaches. The local climate is extremely dry and mild, with daytime temperatures between 25-30˚C in the summer (December to February) and 18-25°C in the winter (June to August). Night-time temperatures routinely drop below zero and can reach as low as -10°C in the winter. Getting There & Away The nearest airport to San Pedro de Atacama is in the city of Calama, where frequent buses connect to San Pedro de Atacama. Alternatively, inter-city buses take 20 hours to drive from Santiago. Acommodation Even though San Pedro de Atacama is a small village, its popularity amongst tourists has resulted in a number of high-end hotels setting up in the area. Explora's Hotel de Larache is top of the line, as are Awasi, Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa, Alto Atacama, Kunza Hotel & Spa and Altiplánico Atacama. Category:Chile Category:Norte Grande Category:San Pedro de Atacama